KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed almost flat on Tuesday as buying interest rotated away from index heavyweights towards smaller-cap construction stocks, with sentiment affected by geopolitical uncertainty, said an analyst. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.39 of a point to 1,714.40 from Monday’s close of 1,714.79. The benchmark index opened 1.65 points lower at 1,713.14 and moved between 1,710.44 and 1,714.50 throughout the trading session. The broader market was almost evenly balanced, with decliners leading gainers 548 to 546, while 598 counters were unchanged, 1,107 were untraded and 25 were suspended. Turnover expanded to 4.13 billion units valued at RM3.14 billion from 3.60 billion units valued at RM2.45 billion on Monday.
Tensions between the U.S. and Japan are heating up—and this time, it’s about more than just trade. It’s about defending one of Japan’s economic pillars: autos. Here’s what you need to know: “Unacceptable.” Japan’s chief trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, isn’t mincing words. Ahead of his seventh round of talks in Washington, he made it clear: “We consider the 25% automobile tariff to be unacceptable.” Why the strong pushback? Because Japanese carmakers aren’t just exporters—they’re local job engines. Japan produces 3.3 million cars annually in the U.S., more than double the 1.37 million they export there. Over $60 billion in investment. 2.3 million American jobs created. The message to Washington? Japan’s not the bad guy. A Deal Still Out of Reach After six rounds of negotiation and a failed meeting between PM Ishiba and President Trump at the G7, the two sides remain stuck. The U.S. wants to slash its trade deficit—¥8.6 trillion last year, with cars making up 82% of that gap...